Ex-SEAL Zach Buchanan can sum
Beth Carmichael up in two words, trouble-magnet. Ever since his kid sister,
Loretta, befriended the girl she had been in and out of trouble, and Beth a
constant thorn in his side.

For six years and a multitude of
reasons he’s fought his feelings by avoiding Beth, but when she telephones out
of the blue from Columbia with the news Loretta has been abducted, he is forced
to confront Beth again along with his demons.

To rescue Loretta, they must put
aside their history and start afresh, because the ransom terms are specific:
Beth must make the delivery. Simple enough until things turn sour and they are
forced on a journey through thick jungle and mountainous terrain.

Thrown together, Zach’s eyes are
opened and he learns some home truths about himself: could he have misjudged
Beth all theses years?

Bright and early
next morning Zach, wearing cargo shorts, runners, an open neck shirt, and a
chirpier disposition, tapped on Beth’s door. Havoc’s words were balm, and he
was going to start afresh, put the past behind him. Tomorrow was going to be
hellish. Today he planned to be calm and relaxed. That would rub off onto Beth
too; put her more at ease, God knows she must be scared witless.

“Morning Zach,
come on in.” She stood aside and he breezed in closing the door behind him.

“Hi, how did you
sleep?” he asked as she walked over to the bed.

“So so. What
about you?” She glanced up from stuffing things into her backpack.

“So so.” He
flashed her his pearly whites.

She returned his
smile and then went back to her task. It gave him the opportunity to study her
face. The smudgy dark circles under her eyes were a dead give away. She hadn’t
slept a wink, but it didn’t mar her beauty. She’d put on weight since their
last encounter, her bottom was rounder, her breasts bigger, more lush. He
watched with lust and envy as they jiggled and swayed beneath her shirt, his
fingers itching to fondle the delightful flesh as she continued packing.

“All done.”

Beth caught him
unawares as she turned toward him and raised a brow, her lips pursing. The
goofy grin slid from his face. Yeah, she’d caught him gawking, but what was he,
dead?

He cleared his
throat. “If you’re ready, we’ll head downstairs to join the others.”

“Ready as I’ll
ever be.” She smirked, and with her pack slung onto her shoulder trounced out
the door leaving him to shadow her to the lift.

The down button
was jabbed with a pointed finger. The lift arrived, and they stepped into the
small box that felt infinitely smaller with just the two of them than it did
the night before with the addition of Hawk and Havoc.

When the doors
opened on the ground floor it was Hawk, chatting with the concierge, who first
came into view. He was hard to miss. Apart from his size and red hair, he was
dressed in kickass boots, baggy shorts, and a Hawaiian print shirt that was so
loud it screamed tourist. And funny enough, he blended in, just another
American college kid down south taking in the sites.

Havoc, in faded
khaki pants, a common garden-variety polo shirt, was also inconspicuous despite
his size and the Akubra he held in his hand. He was at the front desk checking
out when Beth, and he walked up to him.

“You eaten?”
Zach asked.

“Yeah, in my
room how about you guys?”

“Same here,”
Zach replied. “How about you Beth?”

“Yep.”

“Morning all,
what a beautiful day.”

Hawk joined the
group, chirpy as a lark in spring. “Wasn’t that the best breakfast ever Beth? I
swear I’m so full I might just have to skip lunch.”

“Yes Hawk,
breakfast was really good, but let’s not get crazy.” She laughed.

Zach stiffened.
His mouth descended into a thin line and his hands fisted. He wanted to hit
something, more specifically—Hawk’s face.

“Are we set to
go then?” Havoc asked slipping his wallet into his back pocket.

“I checked out
earlier, and I’ve put the rest of my gear in storage for a week. Do you think
that will be long enough?” Beth asked of no one in particular.

“You’ll be back
in New York sipping cappuccinos in less than a week love.” Havoc was
optimistic.

“Jeep should be
waiting out front. I asked the concierge to organize it,” Hawk told them with a
grin.

“What do you
want a medal?” Zach snarled and received a thump in the chest from Havoc with
the back of his knuckles for his trouble.

“Huh.”

“Right then, if
we’re all ready let’s move it.” Havoc led the way to the front of the hotel.

About
the Author:

Layne lives with her husband, two
dogs, and a cat on the mid-eastern coast of New South Wales, Australia. In
addition to being an author she has a degree in history and holds down a
full-time job.

She has always been an avid
reader and voraciously consumes all types of fiction, but she particularly
loves a happy ending, so writing romance seemed a natural progression for her.
But as she sat at the computer one day — staring at a blank screen — it all
seemed rather daunting. Yet once she finally started tapping on the keys, the
words kept flowing, and what was meant to be a short story turned into a full-blown
novel, Desire Unleashed, the first book in the “Desire” series.

Layne writes contemporary
romance, paranormal, and sci-fi. With her passion for travel and a love of
history an historical romance is not outside the realms of possibility.

When she’s not writing, you might
find her tackling a craft project, walking by the lake, or in the kitchen
creating some culinary delights.